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Chapter 1
Leadership in
Early Childhood Education
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n this chapter, I will discuss various ways of looking at leaders and
leadership. You will have an opportunity to think about leadership’s
developmental nature, the way the leadership process is mutually
influenced by leaders and followers, and the many roles and words
used to describe leaders. You will learn the differences between
leadership, power, authority, and status. You will explore the relationship
between leadership development and human development. Finally, you will
have an opportunity to think about what leadership means to you. But first,
let’s take a look at why we need leadership in our field and at the challenges
and obstacles we face because our profession is composed almost entirely of
women working with children.
Why Do We Need Leaders and Leadership
in Early Childhood Care and Education?
There are 2.3 million people serving approximately 12 million children
under the age of 6 every day. Another 3 million children participate in
after-school and summer programs and many millions more are in public
or private primary grades. For each child, you and your colleagues serve as
important teachers. Each and every one of your words, actions, reactions,
values, beliefs, interests, priorities, and perspectives (and a host of other
things) provide the children with a model of what kind of person they can
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